A Mother’s Journey: Strength, Sacrifice, and Survival After Forced Return to Afghanistan

Kandahar, Afghanistan – Holding her 11-year-old daughter's hand tightly and followed by her sons, Durkhani* moved through the crowded returnee centre in Kandahar. Fear gripped her heart, but she kept it hidden. Already at 35 years old, she had lived through many hardships, but she knew harder days were still ahead. 

Durkhani was born in Afghanistan but fled to Pakistan with her family when she was just four years old during the conflicts of the 1990s. She grew up there, got married and became a mother to five children— four sons and one daughter. Her husband worked selling second-hand shoes, and although his income was small, they managed to make ends meet.  

However, everything changed when her husband became seriously ill. Without enough money for treatment, he passed away, leaving Durkhani alone to support the family. 

"I felt guilty that I couldn’t help my husband. After he died, I was terrified about how we would survive," she said. 

Durkhani tried to earn money by sewing, a skill passed down from her mother and grandmother. But the situation grew so desperate that she had to sell her sewing machine to pay for food and rent. Without it, she lost her only way to make a living. 

With no income and growing debts, her sons had to start working. "My two older sons, Tayeb* and Irshad*, sold second-hand shoes and did odd jobs," said Durkhani. No matter how hard they worked, though, they could not pay off their debts. 

As pressure from creditors grew, Durkhani faced a terrible choice: either repay the money or give up her 12-year-old daughter, Muska*, for marriage. Under heavy pressure and with no other option, Muska got ‘engaged’ — a decision that broke Durkhani’s heart but seemed impossible to avoid. 

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in Afghanistan, where approximately 28 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18 in 2023, according to UNICEF. Poverty, social norms and insecurity often drive families to such desperate measures. 

Before the wedding could take place, life changed again. In October 2023, Pakistan’s government announced a deadline for undocumented Afghan migrants to leave the country, and Durkhani was among those forced to leave. 

"When we asked for time to gather our things, the police refused," said Durkhani. "I couldn’t afford the fare to transport our belongings either." 

Durkhani, Muska and the rest of the children crossed the border at Spin Boldak in Kandahar, carrying only a few possessions. The Afghanistan they returned to, after decades of absence felt unfamiliar andinsecure to them. 

At the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reception centre in Spin Boldak, Durkhani and her children received help. They were initially given food and drinks, and later, she was identified as highly vulnerable — a single mother with no income — and referred for further support. 

With the additional assistance, Durkhani was able to repay a portion of her debt and used the rest of the money to buy a sewing machine. She immediately began sewing clothes for neighbours. Slowly, she started to earn money, managed to repay the debt entirely and saved Muska from forced marriage. 

“Muska will only marry when she is grown and wants it — not forced,” Durkhani said. 

Today, Muska is safe and free to enjoy her childhood. She is also learning sewing from her mother, gaining skills for the future. 

With the family's debts cleared, Durkhani’s sons now attend school in the mornings and work part-time jobs in the afternoons. They no longer bear the full burden of supporting the family. 

"When we returned to Afghanistan, I was very worried about how we would survive," said Durkhani. "But now, most of our problems are solved, and life is better than before." 

Sadly, Durkhani’s story is not unique. Thousands of Afghans are being forced to return from Pakistan and Iran in 2025. With declining humanitarian aid, challenges are growing for vulnerable returnees, particularly women like Durkhani, who will face immediate risks at the border and continued barriers to safe and sustainable reintegration in areas with limited or no protection services. 

Between September 2023 and April 2025, more than 2.43 million undocumented Afghan migrants returned from Pakistan and Iran. Over half — 54 per cent — were forcibly returned. IOM provided critical post-arrival humanitarian support to over 1 million of them, including protection services to 145,111 vulnerable returnees, such as Durkhani and her children. 

IOM’s post-arrival assistance to returning Afghan migrants, including protection support, is made possible through support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU ECHO); the European Directorate-General for International Partnerships (EU DG-INTPA); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through IOM’s COMPASS initiative; the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO); the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF); the Government of Japan; the Republic of Korea; the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM); the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation;  and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. 

*Names have been changed to protect identities. 

**Illustrations are fictional and do not reflect the real individuals, to protect their identities. 

This story was written by Zuhal Nabi and edited by Avand Azeez Agha. For more information, please contact: zunabi@iom.int